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Sunday, November 8, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
The Emptying of Brazil’s Mega-Cities
Brazilian metropolises like Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo are seeing their population density -- and their quality of life -- decline.Petroleum Greases the Deforestation Process
High oil prices are driving up charcoal and firewood use in Haiti, where once-extensive forests now cover less than two percent of the territory.Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Amazonian Caviar – Banned Luxury
The jaraquí and the black piranha, two abundant types of fish in the Amazon, permit production of a caviar similar to that made from sturgeon eggs, according to an experiment by the National Research Institute of the Amazon, INPA.Ecobreves – GUATEMALA: To the Rescue of Laguna del Tigre
Authorities here launched a program to rescue Laguna del Tigre National Park, on the Maya Biosphere Reserve, affected by contamination, over-use and deforestation.Ecobreves – CHILE: Are They Glaciers or Not?
The Sustainable Chile program charged on Oct. 31 that the Canadian company Barrick Gold is manipulating scientific reports so that the government will allow the removal of glaciers on the Chile-Argentina border, where the firm aims to establish the million-dollar gold mining project Pascua Lama.Ecobreves – VENEZUELA: No Palms, Blame the Butterfly
The caterpillar of the Brassolis sophorae butterfly are destroying the fronds of palm trees in Caracas, especially in the Botanical Garden, the 70-acre lungs of the city center that had aimed to establish Latin America's leading palm tree collection, says director Mariflor Burguillos.Ecobreves – CUBA: : Wilma Left a Lot of Water
The rains brought by Hurricane Wilma alleviated the drought that had plagued Cuba, with evident benefit for the island's agricultural areas, according to farmers consulted by Tierramérica.
Big Commitment to Water
New commitments for clean water are being adopted by Latin America's environment ministers. Some 100 million people in the region don't have access to sanitation services.
A New Nautilus
The SeaOrbiter, a half-submerged mobile research lab of impressive futuristic design, will study marine pollution and marine life beginning in 2008. Tierramérica spoke with its creator, the French architect and oceanographer Jacques Rougerie.
Climate Change Not Completely to Blame
Scientists consulted by Tierramérica state their verdict on Wilma and other recent North Atlantic hurricanes: they cannot be attributed to global warming.
Writing the History of the Seas
New records show how the existing model for commercial fishing will exhaust fisheries in a decade or two.Ecobreves – REGIONAL: Environment in the Sights of Government Officials
Concerns and proposals put forward by civil society organizations and activists will be studied by the region's governments during the 15th Meeting of the Forum of Environment Ministers of Latin America and the Caribbean, taking place this week in Caracas, Venezuela.Ecobreves – COLOMBIA: New Environmental Seal
The Colombian government has announced the establishment of a new seal that will identify commercial products made with respect for the environment and biodiversity.Ecobreves – ARGENTINA: Gov't to Produce High-Power Wind Turbines
The Argentine government plans to produce high-power aerogenerators to supply wind power to the southern region of the country and export the surplus power generated.Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Universities for Sustainable Development
The second edition of the International Seminar on Science and Technology in Latin America, taking place Nov. 9-10 at the University of Campinas (Unicamp), 100 km from Sao Paulo, will reaffirm the leading role played by universities in promoting sustainable development.Ecobreves – HONDURAS: Eco-Stoves Reduce Environmental Impact
Environmentalists are promoting the use of "eco-stoves" as a more efficient means of cooking, and far less damaging to the environment and human health.Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Humble Cassava Regains Prestige
Cassava, a traditional crop pushed aside in recent years by the advent of large-scale agro-industry export crops, is recovering some of its former prestige in Brazil, as reflected by the resurrection of the Brazilian Cassava Congress.Ecobreves – CUBA: Electricity from Sugarcane
A project to generate electricity using sugarcane biomass at a sugar mill near Havana will contribute 143 gigawatt hours annually to the national electric power grid and help curb the emission of harmful greenhouse gases created by burning fossil fuels.Ecobreves – VENEZUELA: Cleaning Up a Garbage Dump
The local authorities in Valencia, 80 km west of Caracas, have launched a program to clean up La Guásima garbage dump. The 2.5 million dollar project will include the construction of a solid waste treatment plant, waste classification pits and leaching ponds, reported Mayor Argenis Loreto.Ecobreves – CHILE: Video on Dead Swans Censored
Environmental watchdog group Oceana is using the Internet to disseminate a video on the death of hundreds of swans at the Rio Cruces nature sanctuary in southern Chile after its public screening was censored.
Thirst in the World's Freshwater Paradise
The worst drought in the Amazon in 50 years has isolated entire villages, killed tons of fish and fuelled uncontrollable forest fires. The tragedy will be irreversible if deforestation continues, warn experts.« Previous Page — Next Page »
Tierramérica is the main communications platform on sustainable development and the environment in Latin America and the Caribbean. It is produced by IPS Noticias, the agency’s Spanish-language service, which created it jointly with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), with later support from the World Bank. The weekly editions of Tierramérica are published in Spanish, Portuguese and English and are picked up and printed by dozens of media outlets in the region. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
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